Nollywood actor Ibrahim Chatta has opened up about the heartbreaking loss of his first child, which he attributed to his inability to afford hospital bills.
In a recent interview with Abiola Orisile Events & Parties TV, the 54-year-old actor described it as one of the most painful experiences of his life.
He explained that his child was hospitalized, but he couldn’t raise the necessary funds for treatment. In a desperate attempt to save her, Chatta said he trekked nearly 10 kilometers, moving from Ijora-Badia to Itolo in Orile, through Lawanson to Costain, and finally to Makoko—areas where he once sold puff-puff to survive.
The film star revealed that despite his efforts, he couldn’t gather the funds in time, and his child passed away.
Chatta recounted that his daughter was buried in a modest manner, wrapped in an old wooden Coca-Cola crate, as he couldn’t afford a proper casket.
“My first child is not Malik. The first child I had died. The hospital requested payment for her care. I trekked from Ijora-Badia. From Badia, I trekked to Itolo in Orile. From there, I trekked across Lawanson to Costain. All the way to Makoko. Those were the places used to hawk puff-puff. I did not get money until the child died,” he said.
“They buried her with the wooden Coca-Cola tray.
“The day I went to Dubai, I bought a diamond chain for the only girl to put on her leg. Her mother felt somehow, and said she was not the one who gave birth to her. I told her I had a female child before and explained how she died. They all cried. They have never heard that story from me.
“I love all my children. God gave me three. But I want more children.”
